Papermaking



Nov. 30, 1943. A $PENE 2,335,830

PAPER MAKING Original Filed April 12, 1940 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 30, 1943 PAPERMAKING John A. Spencer, South Hadley Mass., assignor to Spencer Specialties Inc., West Springfield, Masa, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application April 12, 1940, Serial No.

329,341. Divided and this application August 23, 1940, Serial No. 353,829 I 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved method of making paper and is directed more particularly to a novel method of operating the dandy roll of a paper-making machine whereby new and novel eflects are produced.

This application is a division of an application, Ser. No. 329,341, filed by me on April 12, 1940.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of a method of making paper wherein the dandy roll of a paper-making machine is positively driven from some rotating element of the said machine whereby the dandy roll rotates in such a way that the surface speed thereof bears some predetermined relationship to the surface speed of the paper-making element such as the'Fourdrinier wire. It is thereby pos- "the lag or slippage referred to and the building up of a wave or' mound ahead of the dandy so that the formation of the paper is greatly improved and distinct and non-blurred efiects of the dandy are attained. Even if the dandy were to be driven frictionally from means other than the paper stock on thewire there is, in the prior sible to obtain .the desired formation of the paper and water-marking thereof and obtain improved results. 3

According to prior practice in the paper-making art the dandy roll has been mounted at its ends over the Fourdrlnier wire for free rotation so that it rests on, and is driven by, the paper being formed on the wire. Such prior practice has numerous and serious objections and disadvantages, more particularly in that the speed of the dandy tends'to lag to some extent relative to that of the Fourdrinier wire due to slippage.

Because of this the formation of the paper is not as uniform and perfect as is desired and where watermarking or other devices are used on the dandy towatermark the paper or apply designs thereto, the results are considerably blurred and indistinct. Also the speed of the paper machine or the Fourdrinier wire is necessarily reduced or its speed is limited by the ability of the wire and paper being formed to drive the dandy. Not only does th lag increase as the wire speed increases but the speed of the wire is limited tothe point where it is possible to obtain any results from the dandy.

Further, because the usual dandy is rotated by reason of its contact with the paper being formed on the wire and is not positively driven so as to cause the lag or slippage, a mound or wave of water and paper-making fibers builds up ahead of the dandy. There is, in effect, an. excess of water and fibers ahead of the dandy because the dandy operates somewhat after the manner of a dam against the paper-making material being carriedalong by the wire.

The excess water ahead of the dandy is not taken away and the formation of the paper and the watermark, where used, are seriously impaired. By reason of the mound, or wave, of

art practice, the lag and obiectional results.

Preferably, according to this invention, the surface speed of the dandy roll will be definitely related to, and slightly greater than, that of the vwireas distinguished from the relatively less and non-uniform dandy speed of the prior art. To accomplish this, means isprovided to drive the dandy at some predetermined speed relative to that of th wire, which speed is varied in synchronism with variations or an increase or decrease in th speed of the wire, all to the end that the dandy operates at all times at a speed having some'predetermined relation to that of the wire. And as a further feature of the invention, the relation of speeds of the dandy and wire may be varied to alter that of the dandy as may be desired, although I have found that it is desirable that the speed ofthe roll be from, say, 1 .to 3 or 4% greater than that of the wire.

Various other novel objects and advantages of the invention will be observed from the following description of the preferred form thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, more or less diagrammatic, showing a portion of a papermaking machine where the dandy roll is usually placed and which is adapted for use in carrying out the method of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of what is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side .elevational view of one of the dandy roll stands; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an end of the dandy roll shaft and a coupling means associated with said shaft connecting the same to a dandy roll drive shaft.

The method or the invention will now be fully described with reference being had to the practo that at which shaft 62 is driven.

tice thereof on an apparatus such as is shown in said drawing.

Supports'2 and 4, shown in Fig. 1, represent the supports usually found at the near side of the machine. There are similar supports at the far side and said supports are usually tied together in some convenient manner. The supports 2 and 4 support a side rail 6 and a similar rail 8 is supported at the far side of the machine by the supports which correspond to the supports 2 and 4.

A couch roll, represented by III, has a shaft l2 rotatable in bearings l4. In the form of the invention shown, a shaft l6 rotatable in bearings i8 is geared by gears 20 and 22 to the couch roll and said shaft is operatively connected with the shafts of other units of the machine.

According to the method of the invention, the dandy roll is driven from some rotating element of the machine which rotates in synchronism with the Fourdrinier wire. In the case shown, the dandy roll is driven positively by said shaft 16, as will be described, although some other rotating element of the machine may be used for the purpose with equal results.

The Fourdrinier wire, represented by W, passes over the couch roll as usual and runs along beneath the side rails 6 and 8, being supported in the usual manner by rolls thereunder which are not shown. Usually there are suction boxes located for their usual function beneath the'wire although they are not shown either.

A dandy roll is represented by 30 and may obviously be of various forms and sizes or diameters depending upon the results to be obtained. As usual, the dandy roll has journal shafts 32 and 34 received for rotation in dandy stands carried.

by the rails 6 and 8 and indicated generally by 36.

The stands include upstanding members 38 on which are slidable brackets 40 having bearings 42 for' the dandy roll Journals. Memmbers 44 on the uprights 38 have journalled therein a crossshaft 46 and carry gears 52 while gears 48, provided on the upper ends of threaded rods 50 which are rotatable in the members 44, are in mesh with gears 52. An operating member 54 may be provided on shaft 46.

The lower ends of rods 66 threadedly engage the members 40 and as shaft 46 is rotated in one direction or the other the dandy roll is moved up or down, or is adjusted relative to the wire. It will be noted that the dandy is supported for rotation, or so that it may operate on the papermaking material on the wire in the way intended.

In the form of the invention being disclosed,

the shaft l6 as previously pointed out provides the motive power for driving the dandy roll and it will be obvious that the shaft or any other element used for driving the dandy roll which o erates in synchronism with the wire will vary in speed accordingly as the speed of the wire varies.

A variable-speed unit is represented by 60.

This will be a device having an input shaft 62 and an output shaft 64 with connecting mechanism to operate shaft 64 at some speed relative The mechanism is variable to vary the relative speeds of said shafts and an operating member 66 is provided whereby the varying or adjusting of said speeds is accomplished.

Sprockets 68 and I2 fixed on shafts l6 and 62 are operatively and positively connected by a chain 16. A cross-shaft I4 journalled in bearings 16 carried by supports such as 4 is connected to shaft 64 by means of the sprockets and chain 16,80, and 82.

A speed-reducing unit is indicated by 84 and is for convenience carried by rail 6. Said unit has input and output shafts 86 and 81 which carry intermeshing gears 88 and 90. Sprockets 89 and 9l fixed on shafts l4 and 86 and a chain 93 positively connect said shaft 14 with the reducer 84.

An overriding clutch 96 is carried by shaft 81 and a sprocket 92 associated therewith is connected positively by a chain 94 to a sprocket 96 on a dandy roll drive shaft 98. The shaft 98 is rotatable and slightly reciprocable in a bearing construction Hill.

The said bearing is slidable up and down in a bracket I02 that has a part I04 slidable horizontally in a support I06 secured to rail 6. A halfcoupling or clutch part I08 is carried by dandy journal 34 and a member engageable therewith is carried by dandy roll drive shaft 98.

The bearing construction for the dandy roll shaft is disclosed in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 304,345, filed November 14, 1939, and by the means thereof it is possible to move the dandy roll drive shaft up and down or back and forth to align the dandy roll drive shaft or accommodate the same to the dandy journal 34. Also the drive shaft 98 may be moved in and out to engage and disengage the dandy journal.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the dandy is mounted for rotation independently of the dandy drive shaft yet the said shaft and dandy are connected so that the dandy is positively rotated.

The clutch referred to provides a positive drive for the dandy in a clockwise direction in the illustration shown yet in the event the driving mechanism fails it allows the dandy to be driven by the wire or paper web thereon and av,oids the possibility of the dandy destroying the web of paper. Such a clutch or free wheeling device as 96 may take various forms and include interengaging pawls and sprockets, wedge rollers, or the like,

In the operation of the apparatus, as shaft l6 rotates the unit 66 is operated to drive shaft 14 which, in turn, by means of the connections and unit 84 operates to drive the dandy roll drive shaft 98 so that the dandy coupled thereto is rotated. The unit 60 may be adjusted to provide the difference in speed of the dandy and wire 01' whereby the dandy is driven at some predetermined speed relative thereto.

It will be observed that the dandy is positively driven from an element which operates in unison or insynchronism with the wire so that as the speed of the wire increases or decreases that of the dandy likewise increases or decreases all to the end that the dandy is maintained at a desired speed relative to that of the wire.

'While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivaassasao lency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of making paper which consists in, supporting a dandy roll for rotation so that its periphery during rotation bears on paper being formed on a continuously traveling Fourdrinier wire, rotating said dandy continuously from an element operable in positive synchronism with the wire so that the peripheral speed of the dandy bears a definite predetermined speed relative to the lineal speed of the wire, the said peripheral speed of the dandy being relatively faster than the lineal speed of the wire and variable accordingly as that of the wire varies.

2. The method of making paper which consists in. supporting a dandy roll for rotation so that its periphery during rotation bears on paper being formed on a continuously traveling Fourdrinier wire, rotating said dandy continuously from an element operable in positive synchronism with the wire so that the peripheral speed of the dandy bears a definite predetermined speed relative to the lineal speed of the wire, the said peripheral speed of the dandy being relatively faster by a few percent than the lineal speed of the wire and variable accordingly as that of the wire varies.

- JOHN A. SPENCER. 

